False-colour scanning electron micrograph of the wood (secondary xylem) of the Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris, showing both vertical (bottom) & horizont

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False-colour scanning electron micrograph of the wood (secondary xylem) of the Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris, showing both vertical (bottom) & horizontal (top) cut surfaces. The large-celled wood at right is early (spring) growth; the late wood (left) has small, thick-walled cells and is much denser. The vertical tube-like structures seen in both early and late wood are tracheids. In softwoods like pine, these carry out both sap- conducting and mechanical functions; the large early tracheids are primarily concerned with conduction, whereas the much smaller late ones act primarily as structural elements. Magnification: x13 at 35mm size.

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Size: 5043px × 3537px
Photo credit: © DR JEREMY BURGESS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: botany, nature, pine, pinus, plant, plants, scots, softwood, sylvestris, tracheid, type, wood